Conference refreshes heart in addition to the wardrobe

Thursday

Mar 27, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Lori Willis

I feel better. You know, renewed. Last week I attended "Renewed:
A Conference for Women" at Lexington Senior High School. It was so much fun!
I had looked forward to this conference since last year's conference; something about the music, the speaker, the classes; I felt the beautifully relaxed and rejuvenated feeling of being away at camp for a week, when really I was just a few miles from home for a matter of hours.
Here's how it went down.
I arrived a little bit early (not too early; it was a Saturday after all) and observed two lines out the door; the first to sign in and pick up my folder and the second, I was told, was the line to "get your colors done." I wasn't sure what this meant, but I did know that one line is enough for that early in the morning. I picked up my folder and name badge, and my good friend Michelle and I mingled in the agency fair taking place at the same time. There were booths from different agencies in the area, including the health department, Mercy Ships and Hospice of Davidson County, and each was giving away small reminders of their services.
After gathering my assortment of peppermints and pens, we found our way to the auditorium and scored the best seats in the house, right in the middle. I found myself, once again, surrounded by people I don't know; the difference, this time, is that we had a common bond that made me feel I knew them all. We were all daughters of God. Sisters. Even though I only knew a handful in the crowd, I felt that I belonged.
From the beginning, the whole day felt anointed with love. One Heart, the band from Lexington Community Church, hit the first chords of the first song, and I found myself on my feet ready to worship. One of the highlights of the entire day was their rendition of "Jesus Paid It All," which had never felt so fresh. The drums drove the way through the chorus in a way that made my heart sing.
The keynote speaker, Shari Braendel, is with Proverbs 31 ministries. Ladies, if you haven't read that chapter in the Bible, read it. While you're reading, remember that God does not expect us to be perfect, but faithful. We can do everything through him, as Shari illustrated in her testimony at the end of the day.
It only took a few minutes to discover that when the papers advertised that this would be a "What Not to Wear" conference, they were telling the truth. No sooner had she begun describing the four different body types and what style clothes to wear (the few brave men who showed up were sneaking out with alarming speed), then she was pointing out the dos and don'ts for each lady.
Now, I hear you mumbling: What's so Christian about discussing body types and clothes? Here's one way to explain it.
You can't tell a girl not to be girly, the same way you can't tell a man not to be manly.
Yes, I'm serious.
God wired me to be slightly high maintenance; he created me to want to strive for beauty. He put me together in such a way that causes little lights in my brain to flash when I find the perfect haircut or just the right outfit.
No, all women are not the same. Some girls don't like being girly. That's great, that's the way God made them, too; but let me explain.
As a girly girl, it was soothing to my soul to hear someone explain in words I could understand that it's all right to want to feel beautiful. When you feel good on the outside, don't you feel better on the inside, too? And I don't know about you, but when I'm feeling good about myself it's much easier to trust the plans that God has for me. When I feel good, I feel confident; when I feel confident, God can use me more because I'm not hiding in a corner. Remember that the purpose for life is to love the God who made us and to figure out the wonderful things he has in store for us. All the rest is secondary.
Maybe it was a guilty pleasure, but when I finally got my "colors done" (I didn't even have to wait in line - ha!) and learned that I'm a Deep Movie Star (it has to do with the hair, eyes and body type), I suddenly felt ready to take on the world. Instead of dreading my next trip to the mall, I'm looking forward to implementing the wisdom I gained.
Face it, girls, God's got big plans for us! The more prepared I am, the better.
I'll leave you with the words given by the teacher of one of my sessions, Donna Trotter, in her session "Raise Your Praise."
There is a song no one else can sing.
There is an offering no one else can bring.
There is a light no one else can shine.
Lori Willis enjoys writing and singing praise music in her spare time.

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